Farm Manager
Salary

Median pay for Farm Managers in the United States lies in the neighborhood of $42K annually. Final cash compensation to Farm Managers varies from around $24K to approximately $67K; choice pay grades include potential for bonuses and profit sharing as high as $10K and $20K, respectively. Career duration is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by geography. Job satisfaction is reported as high by the vast majority of workers. Health benefits are not enjoyed by everyone in this line of work, and just over two-fifths lack any coverage at all. Medical benefits are reported by a majority and dental coverage is claimed by around one in four. Among survey respondents, men are more common than women; 83 percent of Farm Managers are male. The information for this rundown comes from respondents who completed PayScale's salary questionnaire.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Farm Manager

Farm managers oversee the overall operation of a farm, including planning and managing production and handling business administration. The extent of a farm manager's duties and activities depends in large part on the size and complexity of the farm, as well as the type of farm. Generally, though, farm managers plan and direct activities such as planting, growing, and harvesting crops or breeding and raising livestock. They hire, train, and supervise workers and plan, coordinate, and direct their activities. Typical farm managers inspect farm buildings and equipment, making sure that routine maintenance is carried out and repairs are made when necessary. Farm managers are also responsible for ensuring that farm operations and practices meet health, safety, and environmental standards and regulations. Work is often physically strenuous, with long work hours and rare days off during harvesting season. Much time is spent outdoors, usually in more rural areas. Experience in an agricultural setting is useful, but education is required in order to prepare for the scientific, business, and financial decisions required in modern farming; completion of a two- to four-year degree from a school of agriculture is desirable. Ongoing education is required to stay current with advancements in technology and new farming techniques. Farm managers also must remain current with relevant regulations, especially those relating to the environment. Farm managers must have technical knowledge of plants, planting conditions and diseases if crops are grown on the farm; for livestock and dairy farms, managers must possess knowledge of animal husbandry and basic veterinary science. Farm managers must possess a mechanical aptitude for the farm equipment, commitment, business skills, and managerial aspects.

Farm Manager Tasks

Hire, train, and supervise workers and plan, coordinate, and direct their activities.

Plan and direct activities such as planting, growing, and harvesting crops or breeding and raising livestock.

Inspect farm buildings and equipment, making sure routine maintenance is carried out and repairs made when necessary.

Oversee the operation of a farm, including planning and managing production and handling business administration.

Farm Manager Job Listings

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Popular Skills for Farm Manager

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Survey takers who work as Farm Managers typically report just a few professional skills. Most notably, skills in People Management, Operations Management, Budget Management, and Machine Operation are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 7 percent and 13 percent. Skills that pay less than market rate include Equipment Maintenance. Those familiar with Budget Management also tend to know Machine Operation.

Pay by Experience Level for Farm Manager

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Farm Managers, level of experience appears to be a somewhat less important part of the salary calculation — more experience does not correlate to noticeably higher pay. Survey participants with less than five years' experience pocket $34K on average, but those with five to 10 years of experience enjoy a much bigger median of $41K. Farm Managers who work for 10 to 20 years in their occupation tend to earn about $43K. As Farm Managers reach more than two decades on the job, compensation remains commensurate with experience; the average pay in this group is $46K.